Sunday, January 24, 2016

JESSE W. JOHNSON is the first male solo artist to be featured by ROCKWIRED in the new year but don't think for a second that this Chicago-based troubadour serves up the same old fair that has become typical of many a male solo artist in the indie music vain. What sets JOHNSON apart is pure unadulterated guitar riff-age. The Windy City is somewhat famous for riff rock by the likes of bands as HUSKER DU and URGE OVERKILL and JOHNSON made a name for himself in that respect with his band JET W LEE. The band had built a following with such releases as CANNON ROWS, WESTERN NIGHTMARE, HOME TO ROAST and WHO SHALL REMAIN SHAMELESS but now that outfit is on an indefinite hiatus and JOHNSON is now gaining attention for his solo work. His latest EP PRIMAL SCREAM is the sort of gritty, gut-bucket, foot-stomping rock n roll that is both joyous and dark all at the same time. Now where is this featured more prominently than on the EP's scorching title track. But that doesn't mean that one should stop there. The feisty rocker FUCKED UP FIRST is a foul-mouthed anthem they may not get radio play but will definitely get a live audience fired up and EXPECTING TO FALL is a gentle, plaintive closer to a recording that has us wanting more form this man.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Yes the road to rock n roll glory is a long and winding and sometimes you run into dead ends and cul de sacs. There is no one route that works the same for anybody so there is almost no way to advise one to tread the shaky ground of this here music industry but a fellow like NICK COYLE could be a textbook example of how not to give up. NICK COYLE first hit the scene in a big way with the band LIFER and later DRAMA CLUB. ROCKWIRED first became acquainted with him three years ago when he had formed the band STARDOG CHAMPION with members of BREAKING BENJAMIN. A year later he broke off on his own and released a solo album which boasted a more electronic side to his songcraft. Now the past has caught up with NICK in a sense but it's paying off artistically as well as musically. He has formed his newest band DEATH VALLEY DREAMS with guitarist JON NOVA who was a guitarist from DRAMA CLUB and together they've created a straight-forward rock sound punctuated by icy electronics. While a a couple of the tracks on their recently released debut EP such as the punchy opener WORDS LIKE FIRE may bring back a memory or two of the likes of ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN or THE CHURCH, DEATH VALLEY DREAMS is far from being a mere nostalgia act. This newest chapter in COYLE's musical journey is an exciting turn of events and we get a sense that this outfit is in this for the long haul.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Maryland is where I grew up so when someone comes out of the the "Old Line State" and makes some noise I naturally want to join in on the commotion and share the news with the world. Back in 2014 we gave it up for the band SILVERTUNG and their album DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS which boasted the singles such as the hit NEVER TOO LATE, COMING ALIVE, JUSTIFY and DEJA VU. Comprised of singer/guitarist SPEED, lead
guitarist ZZ, bassist SKOOT, and drummer DANNO, SILVERTUNG had and continue to create
a tremendous buzz in their own backyard but 'DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS' has given the band some favorable attention throughout the United States and have given them spots on some rather desirable rock festivals. Now SILVERTUNG is back with a new single and music video called FACE THE MUSIC - a headbanging ode to the perseverance that it takes to survive in a music. Sounds pretty damn autobiographical to me. FACE THE MUSIC is the first offering from their upcoming album OUT OF THE BOX where the band is teamed up once again with producer STEVEN WRIGHT (AVRIL LAVIGNE and SLIPKNOT).

It makes all of the sense to us in the world why bands choose to release a single here and there as opposed to that one large release. This is the reality that music makes have been dealt but in the case of the band WAYLAND the formula has certainly paid off. Since the release of their self-titled debut EP back in 2012 WAYLAND has built their massive following the old fashioned way - by living on the road and hitting every major city with their now renowned live performances. Toward the end of 2014 WAYLAND scored a hit with their single GET A LITTLE - an anthemic stomper that celebrated the struggles and joys of the working man. Anthems have been where it's at for WAYLAND since they first hit the scene so it's exciting to announce that their newest single BLOODY SUNRISE is a nice little departure. Don't think for a second that the band's penchant for directness has taken a backseat. It's only been tempered by some rustic southern rock flourishes that typify bands such as LYNYRD SKYNYRD and THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND. Not bad for a band whose members hail from both Wisconsin and California. According to the band's guitarist PHILLIP VILENKSI the band recorded the single in Atlanta which would probably explain the songs Southern vibe of the track. The single is a taste of a larger work to come and VILENKSI promises that what people will hear is a band coming along as one should in rock n roll - wiser and a hell of a lot more confident. Without a doubt one will hear that in this new offering form WAYLAND.

About Me

ROCKWIRED.COM was launched on New Years Eve of 2004 as a means of promoting the weekly internet radio show ROCKWIRED LIVE (which LUSH produced and hosted from January 2005 to April 2009). As a means of attracting listeners, LUSH turned the website into a forum where artists could discuss their life and work. This forum became known as the ROCKWIRED ON-LINE EXCLUSIVE and after being billed as such, LUSH noticed something curious. “The number of people who came to ROCKWIRED.COM for the printed interviews was exponentially larger than the number of people that tuned in for the weekly broadcast.” says LUSH. “The website was launched as a satellite for the radio show and eventually the show became the satellite for the website. I never saw that coming.”